Apparatus for signaling with ultrashort waves



E. WILCKENS 2,101,785

APPARATUS FOR SIGNALING WITH ULTRASHORT WAVES Dec. 7, 1937.

Filed May 13, 1956 Ernst Mlckens W t orney.

Patented Dec. 7, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE A1' PARATUs FOR SIGNALING WITH ULTRASHORT WAVES Berlin, Germany Application May 13, 1936, Serial No, 79,459 In Germany January 8, 1935 7 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for signaling with ultrashort waves.

It has already been proposed, for communication with ultra-short waves, to employ parabolic reflectors at the focus of which the radiator is ordinarily in'the form of an ultra-short wave valve Whose energy is' radiated in the desired direction by the reflector.

Moreover it has hitherto been usual to use for 1 communication purposes, for example on shipping, a megaphone by means of which communication could be established between ships during fog, so that collisions could be avoided. However, even through speech may have been amplified by the megaphone, in stormy weather es pecially the original volume of sound required is large if-understanding of the message is to be assured.

It is proposed according to the present invention to provide anultra-short signaling apparatus having an oscillator disposed within a concave mirror in the manner of an acoustic megaphone, with a mouthpiece in which is arranged a microphone by means of which the waves, which in-this case are'inaudible, issuing from the emitting mirror are modulated. An apparatus of this kind possesses the advantage that the directing of the emitted radiation is arranged in the same way as that of thesound emitters previously employed, with the difierence that a considerably more comfortable'operation and appreciably increasedrange are secured. There is no particular necessity for the speaker to strain him"- self, since'the electrical waves remain uninfiuenced by the noise of a storm or similar external noises. The operating and also the appearance of the apparatus is in other respects exactly the same as in the case 'of the prior acoustic megaphones. Advantageously the ultra-shortwaves 4,0 are produced by electronic tubes which are secured at the apex of the reflector and the leads for which are passed in along the axis of the reflector. Preferably the oscillator projects outside the mirror through the rear wall of the latter together with the supply leads these leads being tuned as a Lecher system; In order to prevent variations taking place inthe electrical conditions of the leads owing to external capacitive influences, and thus the occurrence of consequent disturbances of the radiation or of the excitement of oscillations, these leads are preferably disposed in a metallic tube or casing. This metallic tube creasing can at the same time be used as a handle or part of a handle for the mirror and the short-wave generator and likewise as a support for the microphone, especially where wave-lengths of the order of centimetres, decimetres or millimetres are concerned, so that, in this way, a readily transportable apparatus is produced which can be conveniently adjusted to the counter-station. Preferably, there are accommodated in the metallic case, in addition to the leads, Lecher wires, etcetera, any necessary contact means, condensers, chokes and also batteries, etcetera. Also, the metallic case may carry contact buttons, adjusting devices for regulating the energy etcetera, in order to put the user in a position to'adapt his apparatus rapidly to the given conditions.

In a preferred embodiment, the said case is, like the barrel of a revolver, provided with a butt and with a trigger bymeans of which contacts located in the interior can be operated. The apparatus may also be combined with a sight for the purpose of rendering it possible to check the exact direction of radiation.

The accompanying drawing represents'an example of embodiment of the invention, which ex'-'- ample is capable of performing a large number of tasks with the smallest space requirement and very easy manipulation. e

l is a reflector at the focus of which an ultrashort wave valve 2 is located. The socket of this short-wave valve is fixed in theapex of the reflector, for example, by being screwed in a cylindrical case 3 which is displaceablein the axial direction in relation to the reflector I. The case 3 which is made of L metal, encloses the leads which are necessary for the working of the'valve and which form a kind of Lecher system that is tuned by a reflectionplate 4, which can be shifted with the aid of a knob 5. 6 represents diagrammatically a steadying device for the leads. It contains chokes and condensers in the usual manner. The case 3 carries at its end a butt 8 which serves for receiving the source of current I. As in a revolver, there is fitted to the case 3 a trigger 9 which may be used, for exampleQto interrupt a suitable current circuit of the valve 2 inrhythm with Morse signals and thus itself give signals. It may, however, also be employed for changing the apparatus over from transmission to reception, or it may undertake both functions. Finally, two triggers 9, 9' may be provided as in the case of a double-barreled glm, one of which triggers is used for changing over from transmission to reception whilst the other is used for giving signals. The apparatus illustrated is also provided with a sight lo the front end of lies on the rim of the reflector l or is fixed thereto. A second support for the sighting device is formed by a mouth-piece H which is located on the metallic case 3 and contains a microphone 12 which is connected up in a modulation circuit of the valve 2. The mouthpiece H is arranged in such a manner that, when the observer looks through the sight 10, his mouth is located'near the front of the opening of the mouthpiece ll, 50 that simultaneous observation of the counter-station and speech transmission is possible. The apparatus is completed by headphones H which are connected up in the known manner in a circuit of the ultra-short wave valve 2 as soon as the apparatus is set for reception. The changing over to reception can be effected as usual by altering the electrode potential in the valve 2. The reflector l is closed on the outside by a single or double protecting wall l3, M which is permeable to radiation but prevents the penetration of water and the formation of deposits that hinder rediation. The ultra-short wave valve can also be protected against sound waves, if this protecting wall is given a suitable construction, so that, for example in aircraft, the shaking of the valve 2 in rhythm with the noises made by the aircraft and-consequently, disturbing modulation of the radiated energy are suppressed. -A modulation may, besides being effected by electrically influencing the current circuits of the ultra-short wave valve, also be effected by adjustment of grids and screens which are brought into the passage of the radiation in rhythm with the'signal. Such screens are diagrammatically indicated at I5. They may be set parallelor perpendicular to the passage of the radiation in the manner'of the so-called Otter screens by a tractive device which is not shown. A leather bellows member I6 is advantageously arranged for the purposeof sealing the apex opening of the reflecton.

As a simplified construction, the arrangement according to the invention contains merely the reflector l and a cylindrical protecting case 3 in which are located the leads and the source of current as well as the switching elements. Instead of trigger-like operating devices, there can be fitted on the case 3 push-button contacts which are to be operated with the thumb.

However, for the control of the signaling apparatus, contacts may be provided outside the handle; which contacts are connected with the circuits ofthe signaling apparatus by special current' leads. Also the sources of current may be located outside the signaling apparatus, for example, in the pocket of the operator, and may lead to the ultra-short wave valve with flexible screened leads. It is not absolutely necessary for this ultra-short wave valveto be arranged in the reflector itself; but it may be located within the metal case and near the sources of cur rent. In general, the reflector will be made of solid metal. In certaincases, especially with a suitably chosen constant wave-length, it may be advantageous to construct it of separate dipoles. The dipoles, or flat conductor parts, which act .as dipoles, may be placed in or on the walls of an insulating body which possesses the shape of the desired reflector. In this way, there are obtained the advantages which tuned dipoles possess as reflectors and there is also obtained the possibility of shutting off the signaling apparatus tightly on the outside from atmospheric influences and the like.

In certain cases, it is also advantageous to give the reflector, in addition to the possibility of being moved axially in relation to the case 3, the possibility of being shifted anguflarly by means of a hinge which is arranged, for example, in the central axis of the apex circle of the reflector. Finally, the reflector may, for example when used in a vehicle, ship or the like, be Cardanically suspended and the case 3 may be used as a setting handle.

What I claim is:

1. A portable compact transmitter of relatively light weight and capable of being readily manipulated by a single user, comprising an elongated casing provided at its forward end with a concave mirror and at its rear end with a hand grip and a microphone, an ultra-short wave oscillator in the mirror, switch controlled lead-in wires arranged to form a tuneable Lecher system. within the casing properly associated witha source of current, the microphone and the oscillator, an upstanding hollow mouthpiece at the upper'rear end portion of the casing, and a microphone disposedwithin the mouthpiece.

2. A transmitter as defined in and by claim 1 wherein an elongated sighting device is associated with the transmitter, the sighting device extending substantially parallel with the elongated casing and mounted; at its forward end on the upper portion of the mirror and adjacent its rear end on the upper part of the mouthpiece, whereby the user is enabled to simultaneously effect juxtapositioning of the eye with respect to the sighting device and the mouth with respect to the microphone.

3. A portable compact transmitter of relatively light weight and capable of being readily manipulated by a single user, comprising. an elongated hollow casing provided. at. its forward end with a concave mirror and at its rear end with a depending handle, an ultra-shortwave oscillator within the concavity. of. the mirror, switch controlled lead-in wires arranged to form a tuneable Lecher system within the casing properly associated with a source of current, a microphone and the oscillator, a substantially concave upstanding; mouthpiece connected with the upper rear end portion of the hollow casing above the'handle, thev microphone disposed within the mouthpiece so that when the latter is juxtaposedwith respect to the mouth of a user the users voice is directed to the microphone thereby modulating the oscillator.

4. A transmitter as'definedinand by claim 3 andincluding an adjustable modulating screen positioned within the concavity of the mirror forwardly of the oscillator.

5. A transmitter as defined in and by claim 3 wherein an elongated sighting device is associated with the transmitter, the sighting device extending substantially parallel with the elongated casing and mounted at its forward end on the upper portion of the mirror and adjacent its rear end on the upper part of the mouthpiece, whereby the user is enabled to simultaneously effect juxtapositioning of the eye with respect to the sighting device and the mouth with respect to the microphone.

erly associated with a source of current, the microphone and receiver and the oscillator, receiving means in circuit with the oscillator, switch means for changing over from transmitting to reception or vice versa, a substantially concave upstanding mouthpiece connected with the upper rear end portion of the hollow casing above the handle, a microphone disposed within the mouthpiece so that when the latter is juxtaposed with respect to the mouth of a user the users voice is directed to the microphone thereby modulating the oscillator.

7. A transmitter as defined in and by claim 6 wherein an elongated sighting device is asso-' ciated with the transmitter, the sighting device extending substantially parallel with the elongated casing and mounted at its forward end on the upper portion of the mirror and adjacent its rear end on the upper part of the mouthpiece, whereby the user is enabled to simultaneously efiect juxtapositioning of the eye with respect to the sighting device and the mouth 10 with respect to the microphone.

ERNST WILCKENS. 

